Matthew 21
21
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. 2He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away.”
4This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,
5“Say to the city of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)
6The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
12Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. 13He said to them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be called a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it ‘a den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
14Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them. 15The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple courtyard shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But when they saw all this, they became angry.
16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus. “Haven’t you ever read about it in Scripture? It says,
“ ‘Lord, you have made sure that children and infants
praise you.’ ” (Psalm 8:2)
17Then Jesus left the people and went out of the city to Bethany. He spent the night there.
Jesus Makes a Fig Tree Dry Up
18Early in the morning, Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry. 19He saw a fig tree by the road. He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Right away the tree dried up.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.
21Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea.’ It will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.”
The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “Who gave you this authority?”
24Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from human authority?”
They talked to one another about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But what if we say, ‘From human authority’? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet.”
27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.
The Story of the Two Sons
28“What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29“ ‘I will not,’ the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went.
30“Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, ‘I will, sir.’ But he did not go.
31“Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.
The Story of the Renters
33“Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place. 34When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.
35“But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him. 36Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38“But the renters saw the son coming. They said to one another, ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.
40“When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?”
41“He will destroy those evil people,” they replied. “Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say,
“ ‘The stone the builders didn’t accept
has become the most important stone of all.
The Lord has done it.
It is wonderful in our eyes’? (Psalm 118:22,23)
43“So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”
45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ stories. They knew he was talking about them. 46So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
Currently Selected:
Matthew 21: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 21
21
The Triumphant Entry Into Jerusalem
Mk 11:1–11; Lk 19:28–38; Jn 12:12–19
1#Mt 24:3; 26:30When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go over into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them.’ And he will send them immediately.”
4#Mt 1:22; Jn 12:15All this was done to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5#Isa 62:11; Ge 49:10 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Look, your King is coming to you,
humble, and sitting on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’#Zec 9:9.”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their garments on them, and He sat on them. 8#2Ki 9:13A very large crowd spread their garments on the road. Others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9#Lk 2:14; Mt 23:39The crowds that went before Him and that followed Him cried out:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’#Ps 118:26.
Hosanna in the highest!”
10When He entered Jerusalem, the entire city was moved, saying, “Who is He?”
11#Lk 7:16; Jn 6:14The crowds said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
The Cleansing of the Temple
Mk 11:15–19; Lk 19:45–48; Jn 2:13–22
12#Lev 1:14; 5:7Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who sold and bought in the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13#Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’#Isa 56:7. but you have made it ‘a den of thieves.’#Jer 7:11. ”
14The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15#Mt 21:9; Lk 19:39–40But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were extremely displeased 16#Ps 8:2; Mt 11:25and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
‘Out of the mouth of children and infants
You have perfected praise’#Ps 8:2.?”
17#Jn 11:18; 11:1And He left them and went out of the city into Bethany, and He lodged there.
The Cursing of the Fig Tree
Mk 11:12–14, 20–24
18#Mt 4:2Now in the morning as He returned to the city, He became hungry. 19#Lk 13:6–9; Mk 11:14When He saw a fig tree by the road, He went to it but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Let no fruit ever grow on you again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away instantly?”
21#Mt 17:20; Jas 1:6Jesus answered them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed, and be thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22#Mt 7:7; Jn 15:7And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”
The Question of Jesus’ Authority
Mk 11:27–33; Lk 20:1–8
23#Ac 4:7; Ex 2:14When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Where did the baptism of John come from? From heaven or from men?”
They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26#Mk 6:20; Mt 11:9But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for all hold John as a prophet.”
27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”
Then He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28#Mt 17:25; 20:1“What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
29“He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he repented and went.
30“Then he came to the second, and said likewise. He answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but did not go.
31#Lk 7:29; 7:37–50“Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom of God before you. 32#Mt 11:18; 21:25For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
The Parable of the Vineyard and the Vinedressers
Mk 12:1–12; Lk 20:9–19
33#Mt 25:14–15; SS 8:11–12“Listen to another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and built a wall around it. He dug a winepress in it and built a tower. Then he rented it to vinedressers and went into a distant country. 34When the season of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to receive his fruit.
35#Heb 11:36–37; 2Ch 36:15–16“The vinedressers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36#Mt 22:4Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did likewise to them. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38“But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39#Ac 2:23So they caught him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41#Ac 18:6; Mt 21:43They said, “He will severely destroy those wicked men and rent his vineyard to other vinedressers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42#Ac 4:11; Ps 118:22–23; Isa 28:16Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’#Ps 118:22–23.?
43“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing its fruits. 44#Isa 8:14–15; Da 2:34–35Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
45When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46#Mt 21:11; 21:26But as they tried to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him as a prophet.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Military Bible Association